The MK2K Project
(Click here to go straight to the stories)
The MK2K Project has a wiki now! Prospective writers and collaborators click here!
Welcome, folks! This is the home page for a spinoff of the Metamor Keep story universe that I'm currently developing with a few other people. What would the world of Metamor be like if the Curse could be controlled? What if Kyia had become the most powerful being on Earth -- and the leader of a benevolent empire that spans half a continent? What if demigods and other supernatural creatures walked the streets like human beings? What if magic and technology could be combined?
What would the world of Metamor look like at the dawn of the year 2000 CR?
MK2K is my vision of a possible answer to these questions. It imagines a world that developed out of the events that we know will come to pass in our own world of Metamor Keep -- the prophecies of Mad Felix, the Starchild Prophecy, etc. -- and projects the timeline forward almost 1300 years from that basic starting point. It is a world that is in some ways like our own, and in others very different. Many things you see here may surprise you. One constant remains, however -- good and evil still exist, and wherever there are villains, there will be heroes to fight them.
For new readers: You are welcome to take a look at the MK2K Writers' Bible, which contains more information than you'll probably ever want to know about this large and detailed world-setting. Beware, however, for some of these articles contain spoilers, especially those dealing with the overarching plot and themes of the setting. The Glossary of Terms is probably the single most useful page you'll find here; I have attempted to flag articles with the [SPOILERS] tag if they contain anything too revealing.
For prospective writers: A few scary-sounding administrative notes. MK2K should not be considered a "canon" part of the MK universe. It's a spinoff, my vision of a possible future for our shared world. My hope is to eventually build this series of short stories into a large anthology that will flesh out the world and tell a large overarching story with a beginning, a middle, and a conclusion. I welcome other writers who are interested in participating in this project, but the overarching storyline will be carefully constructed and thought out in advance. I'd love to hear your ideas for stories, places, elements of the world setting, etc., and if I like them I'll invite you to write a story around them -- but because this is an anthology with a particular overarching vision, it will not be a "wide-open" story universe. I'll be maintaining editorial control over the process to ensure that each story meets with my standards and reflects my vision for this setting. If you're interested in contributing to the project, your first step should be to apply for membership in our wiki -- this is where all the storybuilding and collaboration takes place, so come on over and see what we're up to.
All that said, I hope you enjoy reading MK2K as much as I'm enjoying the process of writing it. It may be a long time before this anthology is finished, but I believe it will be worth the trip!
Content Note: This is a more "grown-up" setting than Metamor Keep; everything is a little edgier in this modern world than in the high fantasy of MK. MK2K is primarily intended for adults; while I will not stoop to writing pornographic or explicit sexual content, many of these stories do contain some harsh language and adult situations.
Some stories are particularly ill-suited for those under the age of 17; these I have flagged with the abbreviation M-17 and a brief description of the content. Potentially objectionable content will never be included in these stories merely for its own sake, but only when it is appropriate to the plot and the characters involved. These are grown-up stories, and grown-ups sometimes do grown-up things.
Stories are listed in more-or-less chronological order, though in some cases deviations from strict chronology have been made so that concepts are introduced to the reader in a more logical fashion.
Welcome to the City -- Your introduction to Metamor City at the end of the 20th Century, as seen through the eyes of rookie cop Michael Perelli. You're not in the Flatlands, anymore, Michael...
House Call -- MCPD detective Kate Kitaen visits her sick partner and bemoans the state of her love life. A little character-focus piece that also serves as an epilogue to Welcome to the City.
Troubled Minds -- Students are dying at St. Theresa's, a school and halfway house for wayward girls on the Street of Metamor City. Abbey Preston is visiting the school, seeking relief from the terrifying visions that have been plaguing her. Is something supernatural at work, or is it all in Abbey's head? (Warning: Contains sexual situations, profanity, violence and disturbing imagery. M-17)
The Muse -- Will Kerenson is a fairly normal college student ... well, okay, actually, he's an aspiring writer, but we all have our odd points. Trouble is, he's feeling fairly uninspired -- until one day, when he encounters a strange young woman who will change his life forever... (Out of all the stories I've written, this is probably the one I've had the most fun with. Enjoy!)
Huntress -- A night on the town in Metamor City, as seen through the eyes of Morgan Drauling, MCPD's chief medical examiner. Did I mention she's also a vampire? (This story was previously featured at TSAT with the Metamor-specific serial numbers filed off. I wasn't quite ready to introduce the project at that time...) (Warning: Contains adult situations. M-17)
Calming
the Storm by Ryx
-- Margarette is about as far down in the gutter as you can get in the Empire
of Metamor. Though she was once a licensed Sensualist working for a well-respected
parlor in Metamor City, an unfortunate encounter last year has left her addicted
to the narcotic Rain -- grounds for immediate expulsion in Guild-licensed establishments.
Reduced to working as an illegal, unlicensed prostitute on the streets of nearby
Caralore, she has no thoughts beyond scraping together enough money for her
next fix. That is, until she agrees to a night with a certain mysterious skunk-morph...
(Warning: Contains sexual situations. M-17)